Icebergs are a peculiar phenomenon. The process by which they are formed varies as to whether the icebergs themselves originate in the Arctic or Antarctic Oceans. The icebergs produced in the Antarctic tend to be of a flatter nature than those produced in the north and the Antarctic icebergs have become know as “tabular” or flattened icebergs. The northern variety of icebergs are formed in a completely different manner such as those formed off the coast of Greenland and these icebergs may be found in a variety of shapes, having no particular dominant shape.
The icebergs which are formed in the Antarctic are generally flat elongated bergs having a flat appearance. Both types of icebergs can be very large, weighing in the order of several billion tons and the water which composes the iceberg is essentially “fresh”.
So there are basically two entirely different forms of iceberg to deal with, tabular and non-tabular. Both are produced by a process known as calving, that is breaking off the large ice formation which has been formed over the years at either pole. The breaking up of an iceberg whilst it is floating in the ocean current is also known as calving.
There are generally only two reasons why one would seek to alter the path of an iceberg; first to prevent or limit damage to a structure which stands in the path way of the drifting iceberg, usually a drilling rig or platform, and the second reason is to attempt to deliver the iceberg to a country where fresh water is in demand. It must be remembered that all icebergs are composed of water which is low in salinity.